Pre Pre-season (summer) 2019-2020 Single A rankings

[ClassAGuy]

I did a Summer Top Ten Earlier this Week for Class A. Today I would like to take a stab at the Next 10

Class A 2019-20 Summer Next 10 (11-20 Rankings)

11- Orono- The State Champion from 2018 will have 3 of their top 5 Scorers returning. Simon, Mohs-Messerli & Bazil Return upfront. After that, though they have a ton to replace. They Lost most of their D and Depth. However, They do Return Grandy in the Net, and they have a great Youth Program to feed into this team. I think the Spartans will be very good this winter if they find Defenseman and Depth.

12- Tartan- No one is talking about this team in Class A, but they should be. After years of battling the likes of HM, WBL, and Stillwater in 4AA the Titans move down to Class A. After winning 13 games on a mainly AA Schedule this Tartan team will be very tough. They Return 5 of their Top 6 scorers led by Ahn & Schwantes and a ton of Depth. They lose thier Starter but return two goalies who saw minutes in Kulevich and Cashin. Don't Sleep on the Titans I think they will be in the Section Final vs. Mahtomedi by year's end.

13- Monticello- Don't Sleep on the Moose this year. While they did lose their two leading scorers from last year, they Return their three main pieces of their D-core in (Bocken, Sorenson, Miller ) they also return their Goalie Wilson Nash who won 13 games as a Soph. Last year. They will be well structured and coached, and before last year's Section Semi Upset looked on track to make 3 Straight State Tournaments. If the Moose can find scoring, they should be a Top 15 team again in Class A this winter.

14- Duluth Denfeld- The Hunters are my mystery team, and I think by year's end will be in the Top 10. Lots of Hype with this group. They have things I like Two 30 Pt guys returning up Front in Lehet & Shea. They return their top Dman in Jouppi and both their Goalies in Easty and Snyder who both can steal games at times. They have a great Coach in Jago who has exceeded expectations in Year 1 & 2, and they bring up an excellent Sophmore class Highlighted by the McClure Twins. They will be a tough team by the end of the year The Hunters are on the RISE!

15- Little Falls- Keep an eye on the Flyers I think they are going to be very good this winter. They return 6 of their top 8 in scoring. They were mainly sophomores and freshman last year. They have Kuchinski, Filippi, Stevens, Hirsh, and Gustafson to provide a solid scoring punch up front. Majerle and Moore were good young Dman last year, and they return an Excellent Goalie in Couture in the net. The Flyers will be in the Top 15 is not Top 10 this year and should be even better next year because most of these kids are still underclassman. This might be the surprise team of the year.

16- Eveleth-Gilbert- I am rooting for the Golden Bears this year! The most Historic Iron Range Town of Hockey is going to lose its name soon with the new Co-opt with Virginia on the Horizon. The Team is Loaded! They Return an Elite Forward in Van Orsdel and Dman in Troutwine and a bunch of hard-working kids that will all be seniors. They also return Shuck, who was their primary goalie. This is a heavy Senior Led Team. I think they will be a nightmare to face all year up north. Would be fun to see them be this year's Greenway and make a Magical run to St Paul one more time before their time runs out on a historical program.

17- Mankato East- Should be the Team coming out of Section 1A this year. They return 5 of their top 7 scorers including Liffrig and Salzle upfront and a very good Dman in Borchardt on the Blue Line. They return their primary goalie in Brueske. They went to State two year's ago with mainly underclassman. Last year as the one seed they were upset in the playoffs. This year a year older, I think you will see them be the representative out of Section 1A.

18- Sartell- Sabres look to be in a Rebuild year? They lost 12 Seniors (Including their Top Line, four main D, and both Goalies). Yet they Return Scoring Punch with Sophmore Phenom Walters and Zulkosky, Webster, Schiffler saw time at forward. They have a great youth program, and two years ago they were at State for A Bantams.

19- Breck- While this is not the Breck of old, they should be very competitive this winter. They Return high scoring Junior Courneya upfront and Steady Senior Dman Blake on the blue line. They have some other pieces and have their Goalie in Reiling returning. I think the Mustangs will be bottom of the Top 20 all year in Class A.

20- Marshall- Gotta give Section 3A their love. This has to be Marshall's year. Last year they went (21-2-1) and were robbed in what sounded like a crazy turn of events down in St Peter in Section Semi-final. This year they bring EVERYBODY BACK but Mason Plante who was a HUGE part of their team. They Have scoring with Whyte, VanDeVere, Frost upfront an Elite Dman in Welvaert and an Elite Goalie I think in Caspers. If Caspers is coming back and not heading to TG Section 3A is Marshall's to lose they return a very nice team.

Teams to Watch-
Dodge County- Could be the Surprise in 1A very weak Section and Lamb is a Stud he and his fellow Sophomores could arrive a year early at the X.

Armstrong- Another Team who dropped down from AA that will be dangerous and plays a mainly AA Schedule all year.

LDC- Will be the main opposition for Marshall in 3A and as we know anything can and will happen in 3A.

Mound Westonka- Lost everyone again this year but last year reloaded nicely and could do the same this year.

St Paul Johnson- I think they will be a Top 20 Team possibly top 15 very nice core coming back. Just how will they handle the "Dream State" distraction al year. Will be very good this year.

South St. Paul - was in section semi's last year in Section 4A - Should have a solid first line with two very good D men. Should hover in bottom of Top 20.

SPA - Four solid D and solid goaltender. They may struggle to score though - but shouldn't give up too many in their end. Was also in section semi's last year in 4A.

Did I miss anyone what you think??

Great Class Discussion hope this sparks even more.

[BP]

Class A Guy - two more adds to watch:

1) South St. Paul - was in section semi's last year in Section 4A - Should have a solid first line with two very good D men. Should hover in bottom of Top 20.

2) SPA - Four solid D and solid goaltender. They may struggle to score though - but shouldn't give up too many in their end. Was also in section semi's last year in 4A.

[ClassAGuy]

Class A Guy - two more adds to watch:

1) South St. Paul - was in section semi's last year in Section 4A - Should have a solid first line with two very good D men. Should hover in bottom of Top 20.

2) SPA - Four solid D and solid goaltender. They may struggle to score though - but shouldn't give up too many in their end. Was also in section semi's last year in 4A.

Great Adds Thank YOU!

[Stang5280]

Some of those teams may be in SCC conference, therefore they have to play them. Each AA Conference has dogs as well. Those are the teams they should crush. Looks like the Aa schools have figured out that there are some good teams in A and it is a benefit to play them. That is why the dumb QRF mesns nothing when preparing ypur team for a state run. Who cares if you are ranked a few points higher and your kids have played weaker competition

SCC is in the Granite Ridge Conference, and Little Falls is the only other school in the conference with a hockey program. It probably isn’t easy filling out a schedule in that situation, so there are bound to be a few weaker opponents sprinkled in there.

Stang5280 thanks for the post. Curious I am working on my "Other & Sleeper" Teams in Class A post. Help me with Breck? Whats going on there. They bringing in Talent or is it really dead over there as some have said?

I was a bit out of the loop this summer, but the assistant coach I spoke with in the spring was not expecting much in the way of contributions from the incoming freshman group. There is also not much talent coming up through the middle school ranks. Thankfully there is still a decent group of younger players left from last year’s team who should continue to develop.

Blake continues to eat Breck’s lunch on the recruiting trail. Unfortunately I don’t see this changing anytime soon, given that it is the largely the result of institutional decisions at the respective schools. Breck has enough draw as a school and hockey history to remain relevant, but won’t return to contender status unless some changes are made.